To See You Again
by Rose Vaughn
Summary: Rated for language. Sequil to Old Acquaintance be Forgot. It's been a few years since Ardelia has seen Clarice. Now the Lecters are in America, and Clarice decides to drop in for a visit.


Author's Note: This is the sequel to Old Acquaintance Be Forgot. Sorry it took me so long to get it done. I have been really busy. As before, I own none of it, except for Michelle. Everyone else belongs to the genius we all know as Thomas Harris.  
  
TO SEE YOU AGAIN  
  
Hannibal Lecter sat in his hotel room, reading the National Tattler. He, Clarice, and Michelle were in New York for a couple of weeks to see several Broadway shows. Later that evening, they were going to go see Rent.  
  
"Daddy?"  
  
Hannibal smiled when he saw his daughter's head pop up from beneath the paper. "Yes, Mischa."  
  
"What are you doing?" The six year old asked.  
  
"I'm reading the newspaper."  
  
"Oh." She said. "Um, may I read it with you?"  
  
"Of course." Hannibal folded the paper so Michelle could climb up onto his lap. "Where's your mother?"  
  
"She's down in the gym, working out."  
  
Hannibal nodded. It was probably safer that Clarice be in the gym than run through the city. *Less of a chance of someone recognizing her.* He thought. Once Michelle was situated on his lap, he opened his paper and continued reading. After a few minutes, he turned the page. Hannibal's eyes widened when he saw the headline on the top of the page.  
  
FBI AGENT INJURED IN DRUG BUST  
  
Anything that involved the FBI piqued Hannibal's interest, so he continued reading.  
  
"FBI Agent Ardelia Mapp was shot twice in a drug bust on Thursday. The FBI was successful in recovering 22 kilos of Meth, and 16 kilos of Cocaine, without heavy causalities. Agent Mapp was released from the hospital yesterday, and was not available to comment on the raid."  
  
Hannibal sighed. He would have to tell Clarice about this, and he knew that she would want to visit her friend, no matter how dangerous it was.  
  
At that moment, Michelle shifted in her father's lap. Hannibal looked down and grinned when he saw that she had fallen asleep. He folded the paper and lifted his daughter into his arms and laid her in her bed.  
  
Just then, Clarice opened the door, and walked over to Hannibal. "Hello."  
  
Hannibal closed his eyes, and breathed deeply, enjoying the scent of his wife. "How was your workout?"  
  
Clarice toweled off the back of her neck. "Fine. I figured it was safer going to the gym than running through downtown New York." She looked down at her sleeping daughter. "You two have fun?"  
  
"We were just reading the newspaper. And speaking of the newspaper," he glanced at the Tattler, neatly folded on the end of the bed. "There's something in there you might want to take a look at."  
  
Clarice picked up the paper and started to read the article. By the time she was finished, Clarice had to sit down. "I want to see her."  
  
"It's a big risk, Clarice."  
  
"I don't care. She's my best friend and I want to see her."  
  
Hannibal sighed and rested his hand on Clarice's shoulder. "Alright. We don't have anything planned for tomorrow, so we can leave in the morning. But we should be very careful. The FBI might be watching her house."  
  
"Alright."  
  
"Come on. Let's get ready for the play."  
  
Ardelia Mapp sighed as she turned off her television. Yet another dammed story about her getting shot in the line of duty was on the evening news. "Don't you people have better things to write about?" She said into thin air.  
  
She stood and walked over to the large chest of drawers next to her bookcase. Opening the bottom drawer, she dug around for a few moments before she found what she was looking for. In her hand, she held the portrait of Clarice, Hannibal, and Michelle that she had taken from Clarice's home in Paris. Sighing, she sat down.  
  
There wasn't a single day that went by where she didn't think of her best friend. Where was she? What was she doing? Was Clarice truly happy?  
  
Ardelia laughed at herself. *Great.* She thought. *You're doing the exact same thing Clarice probably did all those years she was hunting for Hannibal. What's next? Are you going to find your own mass murderer to fall in love with?*  
  
Setting the picture down on the table next to her, Ardelia stood up and walked into the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of milk and walked back into the living room, pausing briefly to turn on some music. As the sounds drifted about the room, Ardelia sat back down and closed her eyes.  
  
She was so swept up in the music, she didn't even notice when the backdoor quietly opened and a dark figure walked in.  
  
Clarice quietly stepped into Ardelia's living room and stood behind the chair the she was sitting in. Clarice nodded her head as the music wafted about the room. Beethoven wasn't too bad, but she liked Scarletti better. Walking around to the couch, she sat down and waited a few moments. Ardelia wasn't asleep, but she was too caught up in the music to notice that Clarice was there.  
  
After a few seconds, Clarice spoke. "You should try listening to Scarletti."  
  
Pulled from her trance, Ardelia jumped up and reached for her gun, wincing at the pain it caused her wounded shoulder. Looking at who was lounging on her couch, she calmed down slightly. But she remained on guard. Where Clairce went, Hannibal was sure to follow.  
  
"Oh my God, Clairce." Ardelia said once she caught her breath. "What in the living hell are you doing here?"  
  
Clarice smiled. "I read the article in the Tattler. I had to come see you. Make sure you were okay."  
  
"Oh."  
  
There was a brief moment of silence, then Clarice's eyes fell upon the photograph on the table next to Ardelia. "You kept it."  
  
"Well..." Ardelia fumbled for the words. "Well, you looked so happy in it, and I wanted that to be the last image of you I had. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again."  
  
Clarice smiled. "I should get you a newer one. That one's five years old."  
  
There was another moment of silence, then Ardelia spoke again, asking the question Clarice knew she would. "Where have you been? I know you didn't come all this way just to make sure I was okay."  
  
"No. We didn't."  
  
Ardelia let it drop, since she knew it was all she would get out of Clarice, but continued with another subject. "Clarice, you shouldn't be here. It isn't safe." Ardelia sat down next to Clarice. "Crawford's been getting suspicious about the fact that every lead we get on you and Hannibal goes cold. I think he knows I'm up to something. I wouldn't be surprised it he's watching the house."  
  
Clarice smiled and gently hugged her friend. "I realize that. But you know that there's nothing they can do to me. I've committed no crimes. Unless you count disappearing from the county a crime. Anyway." Clarice pulled back. "If they are monitoring the house, they're probably going to wait until I say something that will give away information about Hannibal or myself. Either that, or they're waiting for him to show up."  
  
Ardelia smiled. "So, how have you been? I've missed you so much."  
  
Clarice grinned. "I missed you too. And I'm fine. Hannibal had been very good to me. He's taught me so many new things. I even learned a few new languages. Michelle is doing wonderfully. She's already fluent in French, and Hannibal's been working on teaching her Italian."  
  
"Italian? Wow. She must be a very intelligent child. What is she now? Six?"  
  
"Yes. And definitely a daddy's girl."  
  
Ardelia laughed at the comment. She wondered what Clarice had truly meant by that comment. Taking a breath, she broached another question. "And Hannibal. How's he doing?"  
  
"I'm doing fine. Thank you for asking."  
  
Ardelia jumped yet again as she heard Hannibal speak from behind her. Remembering not to reach for her gun, she calmed down.  
  
"Are you surprised to see me, Agent Mapp?"  
  
Ardelia's voice quivered as he spoke. "No. You...you just startled me, that's all."  
  
Hannibal smiled. "I apologize."  
  
"That...that's fine."  
  
Ardelia looked down as a small child stepped out from behind Hannibal.  
  
"Ah, Michelle." He said. "Agent Mapp, may I introduce our daughter, Michelle. Michelle, this is Miss Mapp."  
  
Michelle gave a small curtsy. "It's very nice to meet you, Miss Mapp."  
  
Ardelia was stunned at the child's manners. *I guess you have to be well- behaved in Hannibal's family.* She thought. "It's nice to meet you too, Michelle." She looked at the young girl's parents. "She's beautiful."  
  
Clarice smiled at her daughter. "Thank you."  
  
Hannibal walked over to Clarice. "We really must be going. I'm afraid the FBI is on the way, and I don't think that Michelle should be caught in any crossfire if we are still here when they arrive."  
  
"Yes." Clarice said as she turned to Ardelia and gave her another hug. "It was nice seeing you again. Take care of yourself."  
  
"I will."  
  
Hannibal inclined his head to Ardelia. "Agent Mapp, it was a pleasure to see you again."  
  
All Ardelia could do was nod and watch as the family left her home.  
  
A few minutes later, a FBI Swat team swarmed her home. Jack Crawford was with them. "Mapp, are you alright?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine."  
  
"What in the hell were they doing here?" he asked.  
  
"They were making sure I was okay."  
  
"Lovely. Just what we need. Hannibal checking in on another one of our agents." Crawford turned to the other agents in the room. "Search the house for anything they left."  
  
Ardelia paid no attention to the Swat team as they searched her house. All she could do was stare out the window, hoping to see one last glimpse of Clarice and her family.  
  
A few weeks later, a package arrived at Ardelia's home. There was no return address on it, and the postmark was from a Las Vegas re-mailing center. Ardelia opened it and was surprised to see a family portrait, sent from Clarice. This one was more recent. Clarice was wearing a long, elegant, green dress, her hair cascading around her shoulders. On her lap, sat Michelle, also in a green dress. Standing behind them, was Hannibal, wearing a handsome tuxedo. A waterfall was in the background. There was a note attached.  
  
This one is only a few months old. I thought you might like to have it, since Jack probably took the other one you had. It was nice to see you again, Ardelia. Until next time.  
  
Clarice.  
  
Ardelia smiled, once again thinking of her friend. Except this time, it wasn't the usual questions. It was the answer to one of them. Is Clarice truly happy? *Yes.* Ardelia thought to herself. *She is.*  
  
THE END 


End file.
